Svendborg Harbour, Denmark , 1934
69 x 79 cm (h x w)
Oil on canvas on board

© Martin Bloch Trust

This claustrophobic depiction of boats in a crowded harbour, a classic symbol of exile, was painted during the artist’s brief stay in Denmark after he fled Nazi Germany in 1934. Despite the traumatic experience of flight, it is full of energy and colour. Drawing on his German expressionist roots, Bloch pares down form into simple shapes and conveys emotion through the use of heightened purples, greens and mustard yellows. The compression of the perspective into a single, suffocating plane jams the boats against the harbour and creates a distinct uneasiness. This is one of three works by Bloch in the Ben Uri Collection.

Exhibited by:

Ben Uri Research Unit

Other works by Martin Bloch (1883-1954)

Self-Portrait with Pipe , 1926
64 x 54 cm (h x w)
Oil on canvas
Ben Uri Research Unit
Draperies , 1939
103 x 129 cm (h x w)
Oil on canvas
Ben Uri Research Unit
House in Varengeville, Normandy , 1939
63.5 x 79.7 cm (h x w)
Oil on canvas
Ben Uri Research Unit

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